THE IRISH Bank Officials Association (IBOA) has written to the Irish Nationwide building society to express its disappointment at a lack of progress on issues ranging from job security arising from a proposed merger with the EBS to pay increases.

In a letter to Irish Nationwide chief executive Gerry McGinn, Larry Broderick said union members in Irish Nationwide were “not prepared to stand by and allow the society to be restructured over their heads”.

Mr Broderick said the union’s members were “particularly alarmed at suggestions that new structures of pay may be in place by early March”. He warned that staff would not co-operate with any new arrangements until their issues were addressed.

The IBOA has asked Irish Nationwide for reassurances it will seek to retain its 50-branch network and head office on Grand Parade in Dublin following any merger. It also wants management to protect pay and conditions of employment, and to ensure staff are treated equally in any takeover. The IBOA wants any changes to be agreed with the union.

Some 250 of 350 full-time staff at Irish Nationwide joined the union since the IBOA became active in the society last year.

The union said Irish Nationwide had failed to respond to a staff request for a contractual payment due last December to be honoured. “IBOA will seek a mandate from our members to pursue this issue through the courts unless management confirms it’s willing to engage on this matter.”

Mr Broderick also asked Irish Nationwide to confirm that pay increments due under existing contracts would be paid to staff this year, and to clarify what pay proposals it was prepared to put to staff this year.

The union will brief its Irish Nationwide members on February 16th.